CH. 6: Nobody Expects the Occupation

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Gregeddin and Tulbas (The Happee Ohgr, Harbor District)
The bartender is a goblin herself, which might explain why so many of her customers are also goblins. She has short black hair and red skin. She is standing on some kind of raised platform so she can reach the bar easily. Her yellow eyes widen at the sight of Gregeddin. "Well, well, aren't you just one tall drink of water?" she asks him.

"You a merchant?" she asks. "Yeah, the tax thing is getting out of hand. But if you ever need to drown your sorrows, you can always come by here."

Kendra and Arulia (Toom's Residence, Farmer District)
"Our main priority is slowing down their efforts to attack our people," says the blonde woman. "If you can, find out when they plan to move out and how many they are bringing, plus any specific plans they might have. Or find ways to disrupt them, to slow them down, or make them less effective."

"We don't know what your skills are or what you are capable of," says the raven-haired woman. "But whether you stick to gathering intel or get your hands dirty, you can leave reports for us here. Of course, as Toom is dead now, it will look suspicious if you just start waltzing in here. You'll have to make sure you aren't being followed or watched."

[BishGada]

Tulbas stands near Haaque and few steps behind Gregeddin. As Gregeddin runs the conversation with the goblin Tulbas say to Haaque, "You like to read books. Have you read about the Belzorites? We can search for information about places they hold sacred or rituals they used to perform and help us track them down. Do you know who runs the library after the occupation? We could also check what the priests in the temple knows about these subjects."

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(OOC: would it be possible and effective to cast Cantrip with the intention to intensify the ability to detect if someone speaks the word Belzorites? That means increase the awareness of usage of the word? For example emphasizes the sound of the word, or let the wizard understand the word from lips reading.)

[HorizonsDream]

"The only way to really get the information you need is to join the army, or find a way to get into their little inner circle," Kendra says. "There might be a couple of ways for me to do that."

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Gregeddin and Tulbas (The Happee Ohgr, Harbor District)
"I didn't come to the city until after the Seekers took over," Haahqae explains. "So I don't know much about them. I do know a thing or two about libraries, though. There are only two in the city. One at the mageware shop, and the other was at the Seeker's council hall. Which is now the Temple of Takhisis. So I guess it's still there. Unless the priests got rid of it."

Tulbas uses a cantrip to sharpen his hearing and pays close attention. There are a lot of conversations going on at the tavern, but nobody is using the word 'Belzorite.' But with his high intelligence, it occurs to him that a secret cult that has remained hidden within the city for years under the nose of everyone probably didn't remain so secret if they regularly went into public places and openly talked about themselves where they could be overheard.

The Cult of the Master was different, as they grew so powerful so quickly that the Seekers couldn't do anything about it (and they were waning in power as it was already). The Belzorites most likely don't go around preaching their faith, especially now that the Takhisians are in charge.

(OOC: I will let you use a cantrip to improve his Detect Noise ability by 5%, if he concentrates for 1 round. If someone says the word, and he passes the check, he'll hear it.

Tulbas uses a cantrip to improve his Detect Noise chance by 5%. He then makes a Detect Noise [20+5] check (1d100): 23, pass. Nobody in the tavern is using the word Belzorite.

By the way, as mgbevan and Haahque are both on vacation, looks like Red Team is pretty much just you at the moment, BishGada. )

Kendra and Arulia (Toom's Residence, Farmer District)
"If you could actually get close to the city's commanders, especially the prefect...you could potentially gather a massive amount of intel, not to mention do a lot of damage," says the raven-haired woman.

"Why risk your lives to help us, though?" asks the blonde. "What are you getting out of it?"

[djhyland]

"Why?" Arulia asks. "Because it is the right thing to do. Because an army bent on doing gods-know-what has turned to your forests, and I don't think they mean any good to ...your people. Because if the tables were turned, I hope that you would do the same for us. Because darkness and evil move to devour all, and I wish to do whatever I can to oppose it."

Surprised at her emphatic answer, Arulia blushes and steps back, staring at her feet.

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra glances over to Arulia in surprise, then smiles slightly. "I think she has said it better than I ever could," she says. "That, and I do have a personal connection to your people. I don't want to see your people wiped out because of this army."

[JadedDM]

Kendra and Arulia (Toom's Residence, Farmer District)
The three elves listen to the two. When Arulia claims that she hopes the elves would 'do the same for us,' they all share an uncomfortable look but otherwise don't comment.

"Very well, if you are set on this course," Sadron says. "You can come back to this house to make reports, but be careful not to be seen. Therefore, I'd recommend you don't report unless you have something important to say. Coming and going too often from this place could put you at risk. But if for some reason you are compromised and need to flee the city, this secret passage leads outside of the city, not far from where we are camped."

"Good luck," the blonde says. "And may the gods watch over you."

[BishGada]

The only thing Tulbas says is "Hmm..." He already knew what Haaque had told him and was somewhat disappointed. "I think we should visit the library. Showing the paper we got from the high priest will let us in with no trouble. I wonder if Gregeddin made some progress." Tulbas says and gets closer to the counter. He orders a beer and asks the goblin, "Have you heard any rumors about suspicious activity around the old brothel?"

[HorizonsDream]

"What would you consider important?" Kendra asks curiously. She knew that they wanted to know the size of the army and when they were going to march on their homeland. Weaknesses would be important too, if there was any.

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Gregeddin and Tulbas (The Happee Ohgr, Harbor District)
"Sure, kid," the goblin says, pouring Tulbas a beer and asking for a copper in exchange. "The old brothel? Yeah, I heard they're looking to reopen it, actually. The temple, I mean. They're hoping it will help keep the troops from getting too riled up. Not sure where they'll find anyone brave enough to work there, though." She leans over and whispers conspiratorially, "Not even sure those draconians even have the right equipment, yeah?"

After taking the copper from him, she says, "Heard someone went missing around there, too. Couple of people, I think. That was before the occupation, though. People went missing all the time then, mostly refugees. So nobody really cared."

Kendra and Arulia (Toom's Residence, Farmer District)
"I'll put it this way," Sadron says as the two other elves step into the secret doorway. "Every time you come here to report, you are putting your life at risk. So if you have something to report, make sure it is worth that risk. And please be careful out there," he adds.

Giving Kendra one last look, he steps into the passageway and vanishes into the darkness. There's a click sound, and the wine rack moves back into place, blocking the doorway.

[BishGada]

Tulbas listens to the goblin and then asks, "Do you know a lot of draconians? By the way, have you worked here before the occupation or only afterwards?"

[djhyland]

Arulia watches the elves slip back into the darkness of the secret passageway, solemn and silent. When the door closes and all is hidden again, she turns to Kendra. "Do you have some history with that one?" she asks. Her voice holds no condemnation or suspicion, only curiousity.

[HorizonsDream]

"Yes," Kendra says with a sigh. "He was pretty much my everything three years ago, and I had to break things off with him because my family didn't approve."

[mgbevan]

Gregeddin cocks an eyebrow and smiles coyly at the barmaid's question. While Tulbas is holding the conversation, the bard subtly looks around trying to overhear or oversee any of the conversations going on in the tavern.

After a short while he turns his attention back to the barmaid and Tulbas, he smoothly slides a copper over with a wink to their red skinned server on Tulbas' behalf. "I too heard people would go missing back in the days of the cult of the Master. But more curiously, there was a warg-rider that saw people vanishing recently. Know anything similar?"

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Gregeddin and Tulbas (The Happee Ohgr, Harbor District)
"My family came here when I was still a child," the bartender says. "It hasn't been easy, living in a human city all these years. But things are changing now, and business is thriving. So can't complain. As for the draconians, I haven't seen too many come into this part of town. But I hear tell they don't have any womenfolk of their own, so I figure that's gotta be frustrating."

She actually blushes at Gregeddin's gesture, accepts the coin and pours him a beer, as well. "I haven't heard about nobody else vanishing. After the occupation, all the undesirables were taken away. There are a lot fewer people in the city, and way more guards. So it would be hard to pull that off. Plus, the all seeing eyes of the goddess. You'd need magic, I'd reckon, to get away with anything."